It reminded me of you
by McFiddleStan
Summary: Loki disappears on a secret mission and returns to a visibly pissed off Tony. FrostIron AU. Established relationship. Post-Ragnarok. Not Infinity War compliant.


Tony stood in the center of a giant shower, letting the hot water coming from above him stream over his head. With just the press of a button, he changed the showerhead — there were three different ones to choose from, after all — and changed the stream so that the hot water pounded into his tense shoulders. He'd come back to the tower hoping for a little peace and quiet. So he could be angry alone.

He'd been upstate earlier, at the new Avengers compound, preparing for a rare evening free, hoping to have a nice candlelit dinner and a Netflix-and-Chill kind of evening. But he couldn't find Loki anywhere. He wasn't with Thor, arguing, as brothers are required to do apparently. He wasn't with Natasha, talking knives and throwing styles. And he wasn't with Clint, but it was Clint who spilled the beans. Loki had snuck off on some sort of mission. Alone. But he didn't tell Clint where he was going, why, or when he'd be back.

Tony was pissed. Too pissed to be around people who would do nothing but question him. After Thor shrugged off the news, citing it as normal Loki behavior, Tony had to go. Exhausted from the stress of emotion, Tony shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. After going through his post-shower grooming ritual, Tony wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped out of the steamy bathroom. He moved to the foot of the bed where a small duffel bag of his things lay on the floor, and picked it up to place it on the bed. He paused in the middle of unzipping it, sensing the presence of another in the room.

"How'd you know I was here?" he asked on a put upon sigh.

"You're not exactly hard to find, darling," Loki answered, a voice coming from the shadows of the dimly lit room.

Tony reached into the duffel bag and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. "What'd you do? Put a chip in my neck?"

"Well, that seems rather inhumane. Even for me."

Without responding, Tony nonchalantly dropped his towel and slipped on the pants and tank. The fact that he hadn't put on a show spoke volumes. Something like a grunt or a sigh sounded from the shadows.

"Judging by your demeanor, I take it someone alerted you to my mission."

Now that the elephant in the room had been acknowledged, Tony let his temper flare. Zipping up the bag more forcefully than he intended, it fell to the ground with a plop. "Tell me something, Lokes, just exactly how stupid are you?"

"Not at all, according to the last aptitude test you attempted with me." Tony could practically hear the snarky grin in Loki's voice. Shaking his head, Tony snatched up the duffel bag and walked into the bathroom with it. He returned without it. "I can see you're in no joking mood tonight."

Tony made a quiet _hmph_, but didn't even glance in Loki's direction, and instead walked into a closet on the other side of the room, returning with a couple of pillows and pillowcases he tossed to the already made bed. He'd called Happy and had him arrange things for him ahead of time.

"All right. You want an explanation? Here it is: you are aware, of course, that I still have a few…let's just say friends, across the nine realms."

Tony, shoving one pillow into its case, scoffed. "Yeah. _Friends_."

Ignoring him, Loki continued, "Earlier today, I received information on the location of a very important item that was once held in the care of Asgard's vault. I had a very small window of opportunity. I took it."

Tony still said nothing and continued to stuff the other pillow into the other case.

"I know you," Loki claimed, sounding increasingly exasperated. "If I had told you about the mission, you would have tried to talk me out of it. Or worse; you would have tried to come with me."

"I could've helped you," Tony retorted, throwing the finished pillow down to the bed.

"You would have been _killed_, Anthony. I barely escaped myself."

Tony tossed his pillow aside, rearing his head to look at Loki, realizing for the first time how hidden he remained in the shadows of the large room. Tony had to squint and search before he found Loki's form near the balcony doors. "What happened? Why are you hiding?"

There was a quick moment of silence. "I'm not hiding," Loki finally answered, softly. "It's dark in here, is all. And you don't exactly seem very welcoming at the moment."

"Liar." Tony crossed his arms and stepped forward. "Come closer."

Tony knew the name calling wouldn't bother Loki. He'd probably been called worse that very day. But he sensed Loki's hesitation to step forward. He did so, slowly, and Tony's heart dropped to his feet. Loki's face, usually so handsome and pale, all sharp cheekbones, red lips, and sparkling dark green eyes, was awfully bruised. That perfect mouth was bleeding from one side, his upper lip puffy where a cut sliced it open. And his usually well-kept uniform of leather and metal was torn and ragged in some places, dirty and smudged in others. As worrying as all of that was, the fact that Loki was holding his arm over his midsection, and the hand at his side more bloody than not, concerned Tony the most.

Loki stepped fully into the light and Tony swallowed before rushing toward him, skidding to a stop only when Loki stiffened and leaned away, holding up his good hand to ward Tony off.

"I'm fine. My magic is…working its best on the major wound in my side. That is the only reason I have yet to heal the smaller cuts and bruises on my face and other areas. Really. I look worse than I feel."

Tony's jaw clenched. "You couldn't have just taken Thor with you?"

"No, I couldn't — may I sit?" Not waiting for an answer, Loki moved to the bed and lowered himself slowly, clenching his teeth and groaning as he did. "I couldn't take anyone, Anthony. I had to do this one on my own."

"Why are you so goddamn stubborn? You never had a problem with a couple or a few of us helping you get all the other stuff you lost back."

Loki's back straightened and he looked up at Tony with a raised brow. "_I_ lost? Let's not forget who caused Ragnarök in the first place, shall we?"

"Your crazy-ass sister?"

Tony saw the irritation cross Loki's face, and god help him, he liked it. "Not _my _sister, Stark."

"Semantics, _Odinson_." Tony was digging the back and forth. Snark was, after all, the driving force behind the mutual attraction between them. But when Loki's face went from indignation to surprised confusion, Tony stilled. "What?"

"Are you…angry with me?"

He wasn't sure why, but Tony felt an embarrassing flush rise up to his cheeks. He scowled at Loki and uncharacteristically fumbled a moment for his words. "No. Most of us were available tonight. It didn't have to be me, but you should've taken backup. You should've had help!" he yelled in aggravation.

Loki had been shaking his head as Tony spoke. "No!" He shouted back, his voice laced with irritation. "Do you not understand? It was a dangerous enough mission that I could not risk anyone else."

"We risk our lives every time we walk out that door, Loki. What made your little mission so different?"

"Because I had to go to Jötunheim!"

Tony felt his eyes widen, his mouth nearly dropped, and turned away, scrubbing a hand over his face, before Loki could read anything he didn't want him to in his eyes. "You…you willingly went to the one place where every single being breathing wants your head on a stick? Alone?"

Loki breathed out, long and loud, and Tony turned his head just enough to look at him. "I told you." Loki started to speak as he removed his hand from his side. Tony assumed his wound was nearly fully healed since he didn't put it back. He opened and closed his hand, using his _seiðr_ to clear away the blood as he continued, "I was after a very important object. And it just happened to be that Jӧtunheim is where it was located."

Looking away, Tony frowned at the wall. "What object was it that…?" He let the rest of his question — what was so important that he could risk his life? — die on his lips.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters," Loki answered flatly.

Tony twirled around so fast he almost felt dizzy. "The Casket? How'd _they_ get it? Why would you have stashed it there of all places?"

Loki chuckled lightly, a smirk twisting his lips. "I was in a bit of a rush that day, Anthony. I all but tossed everything in Asgard's vault into the universe just to keep them from being destroyed. I could only concentrate so clearly. Time was not on my side."

"Okay, fine," Tony acquiesced as he faced Loki fully. "But I still don't understand why couldn't you take Thor? He's fought them before, hasn't he? They want you dead and you think it's a great idea to just stroll in there with nothing but your magic and knives?"

Loki rose to his feet, and Tony could see, he was fully healed now. And…pissed? "First of all, how dare you? I could come up with a thousand different ways to torture and kill you with naught but my _measly _magic and knives, including some that would fool you into believing I was seducing you."

Tony was surprised by the declaration, and he would examine later the twinge of arousal he felt at Loki's words.

"Second, exactly what part of _I had to do it alone_ do you not understand?"

"Uh…" Tony shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno, maybe the 'alone' part? " Not the best time for sarcasm, but it was how Tony best expressed himself. He almost smiled at the way Loki visibly stopped himself from saying whatever it was he wanted to say.

Steepling his fingers at his lips, clearly straining for patience, Loki's voice was tight as a bowstring when he spoke. "Try to understand me. This was a mission that was necessary I handle alone. Bringing anyone else along, particularly Thor or yourself, would have hindered my ability to slip in and out easily."

"Oh, yeah. You look like you slipped out real easy. Not a mark on ya. "

"Oh, you bullheaded bilgesnipe!" Loki shouted, curling his hands into fists and shaking them in frustration. Tony raised both brows at the name. "For your information, Man of Iron, I actually did make it out of Jötunheim unscathed! I had the Casket of Winters in my hand!"

"Oh yeah? Then why did you look half dead standing in my room a second ago?"

"Because I made the mistake of returning to get _this_ for you!" With his magic, Loki produced something large and blue with something sharp and crystal inside it, and dropped it with a thump on Tony's floor.

Tony gaped at the object, before catching a whiff of something that smelled dead. "Fuck. Loki. What is that?"

"It is the hand. Of a Frost Giant," he huffed between pants of breath.

Holding a hand to his nose and mouth, Tony looked up at Loki. "You brought me the hand of a Frost Giant? Is this like when dogs bring a dead bird to their owners?"

Loki narrowed his eyes. "No, you imbecile. I hadn't planned on bringing the hand. I was after the — things moved rather quickly when I was discovered in the rebuilt palace." Loki moved to the hand to pry the crystal object from the stiff fingers.

"I'm never gonna get this smell out of the room," Tony muttered. He removed the pout from his face as Loki straightened and cleared away the hand, plus the trails of blue blood, and returned to stand before Tony. "Here."

Tony took the object in both arms as Loki shoved at him. "What is it?"

Loki's chin lifted as he crossed his arms. "Jötunheim is not a very advanced world. But they are a bit more advanced than you Midgardians. It's a piece of their technology. Have at it."

"Ohh…" Upon closer inspection, Tony realized the object wasn't made of crystal, but rather it was a weapon formed of ice and other materials. "Lokes, this is —" Tony looked up and saw Loki heading for the glass door leading to the balcony. "Where you going?"

"Out."

"Why? You just…" He motioned with the weapon.

"Because you've irritated me, Anthony." Loki stopped and a bright green light shimmered over him from head to toe, changing his clothes to dark slacks and a green shirt.

"But I always irritate you," Tony retorted with a smile.

"Yes. But not after I've just risked my life to bring you a…" Loki trailed off and Tony rolled his eyes at his own guilt. "Enjoy."

"Wait. Why did you do this? For me?"

Loki was standing near the floor-to-ceiling window, with New York behind him. It was a beautiful scene Tony would hate himself for not appreciating more. "I watched how it worked. It's quite advanced technology for the Jotnar. Plus, weapons." He spoke his last words with a small smirk. "It reminded me of you." He started to leave again, but Tony called for him once more.

"Lokes." Tony set the weapon down on the bed and move toward Loki. "Listen, I didn't know…I mean, you didn't have to…" He motioned, at a loss for words, toward the weapon. He looked back at Loki and laughed quietly. "I really fucked this up, didn't I?"

Loki smiled and started to reach up to lay a hand on Tony's cheek, instead choosing to rest it on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "You're welcome, Anthony." He started to leave again but Tony grabbed his arm before he could slip away.

"Stay?"

Loki dropped his chin, sighed softly. "What for?"

"My apology." Tony couldn't stop the grin that spread across his lips. Loki flicked his eyes toward Tony's and Tony's grin grew into a smile. "You know I'm good at that."

As Loki's thin lips spread into a soft smile, Tony knew he'd nearly won him over. Giving his head a short jerk toward the bed and his arm a tug, Loki silently, but very willingly followed.


End file.
